“A common middle class job going person and his life in Mumbai, Year 2020. Although every person has a different and interesting story, Here is how a typical middle class person’s life & lifestyle going in city everyday, weekends and more..”
People outside or unknown to Mumbai’s so called fast life and rapid going social lifestyle must be wondering about a common man (Referred to a typical ‘Middle Class’ man) job life goes in Mumbai. So thought to give a glimpse of same (Just a personal opinion on what i saw and felt in past 10 years of job life). It will help you understand how a middle class bread butter earner & city life struggler, spends week days and how is his/her weekend life passes in this commercial capital city called Mumbai.
This article may not cherish you as its is focused on the facts of the costly life & lifestyle of those new comers, coming from outside city welcomed to the job world of Mumbai. A feel of a middle class friend between age 21 to 35 with high expectations & dreams who catches up a job, gradually sinks into the motion of city and slowly unknowingly gets trapped in fast routine life reaching nowhere. Still loves Mumbai and its feel where many such birds flocks together and time goes on. I hope you will enjoy this article.
Mumbai Lifeline
One must have heard this word ‘Mumbai’s Lifeline’ in various online news and offline newspapers and other news media. And that is all about the local trains, a cheapest and fastest means of commuting for millions of citizens from major city locations and boundaries which are Western Suburban & Beyond till Dahanu Road, Central Route and Suburban, Harbour Route till Thane city & district area and Of course Navi Mumbai city in the Southern East location.
It is tagged as lifeline due to the fact that if due to any reasons like heavy rains, technical problems etc trains stops, The commuting gets affected and every other company (Big & Small) gets a topic to discuss for the day with employees seen coming and going at uneven timings, Of course affecting the work, But that is a common and known things in Mumbai, So Employers have to adjust accordingly.
Major, not all traveller in Local trains are Middle Class (Middle Income People). Many high income fellow travellers also commute via trains as the traffic eats up maximum time even of the fuel is paid by the company. Time taken through train travel is anywhere between 45 minutes to 3 hours and more and so major every other regular traveller has fix trains and buddies group who chat, sing, share daily happenings and personal life and travel together till their respective station and the same is the story which coming back from job.
Metro Trains
When the life was hard, 2014 brought some relief to we people with the Metro trains running between Versova and Ghatkopar. A cool experience was warmly accepted and cherished.
It is 2020 now when i am updating this section, One year more and more of metro train routes will be operational lowering the burden of local trains and buses.
March & April 2020, COVID-19 attack on Mumbai is high and this might delay the metro project a bid.
Typical Weekday Life in Mumbai
Oh, this middle income person travels in his own car from a suburban locations, executive and above level in a company and company pays for the fuel. Now lets ask him about his driving experience and comes out the most common words famous on almost every driver (Rich or Middle Class) fellow who says “Saala Yeh Traffic Kab Kum Hoga’, which means when are this traffic problem going to be solved. During monsoons, Potholes are our Mumbai Citizen HERO, Well simply because they are discussed more than anything else personally and in news. Well, i may be positive and say, After the upcoming Coastal Roads ready in a decade from now.
Simply want to say, I and sure with me maximum others are ashamed of our road conditions, traffic being in a so called COMMERCIAL CAPITAL city ‘Mumbai’. But Guess what, We middle class people get used to in just a day or few and keep going, thinking this is normal and happens every year.
Are you a Mumbaikar, Am i right ? If Yes, World is waiting for your Comments at end of this article.
Oops, the day has just begun with a 12 hours job working timings (Insane & Some legal implications are badly needed here) Hope some authorities read this. Typically, our work check in timings are not as strict like USA & JAPAN (Sharp 9:00 or 9:15 AM). Considering the reality and daytime nightmare of Mumbai travelling, Few of our Good bosses considers some flexibility and we are allowed to start at around 10:00 to 10:30.
Here starts a day of a typical job working middle class in his office. Marketing executive attends some routine bore meetings (Do we have some exceptionally innovative starter ideas for Office ? Comment below) and a Executive (IT & NON-IT) jumps into the bulk, spam and few official mails, With a cup or machine made Tea / Coffee. Well, not bad.
Few lucky at job has access to Internet too and the morning quota of Tweets, Facebook and Instagram is a must do, How can you jump into the work so easy, Hmm ? Well, many have to as boss is seating on the next desk / cabin and there is not Internet access, Sad.
By Noon after couple of meetings, presentations or interviews and the feel of some work done and similar vibes thrown out. Well, after that crowded train massage, honking traffics etc hunger is a natural call and we middle class job going people are particular about our lunch timings (STARTING of course, And we have complete 1 hour+). Well, not all as marketing / field executives are still struggling for some shade and place to sit and allowed to open a private lunch box, Else eat the junk as its cheaper or spend huge in flashy restaurants, Well that’s how it is in Mumbai.
Oh, i have to smoke post lunch, more 15 minutes. Well, i know one cigarette takes my precious 11 Minutes of life and smoking is injurious to health and creates cancer (REALLY ? Do you actually know value of that 1 minutes on death bed last moments). I request, help yourself, Use those 15 minutes otherwise.
We missing on something here, This middle class person’s mind is very busy. He keeps on thinking something while working, while walking on coffee break etc. WHAT ? and here are very few of those things running in his mind subconsciously.
- Will i get some time for my family today ?
- EMI dates, Credit card bill dates, Mobile bills, Electricity & Other Home expenses with the soaring inflations.
- Health issues in family.
- Year end investments, Else more money will be flowing out to government’s BIG TAX POCKETS.
- Oh today some social, relatives etc.
- Kids schooling and related.
- Best one, Have i forgotten something today ?.
- Etc.. Etc..
The fast pace of Mumbai life, The fake social status importance and the big social question ‘Log Kya Kahenge’ (What will people say) etc fades out the reality or life, the real fun of enjoying simple little moments of life, that little smile that do not cost anything is actually left out. This little soul of middle class life is stuck in job and is a actually a machine running to fulfil the needs of life.
Hey, what’s the time now ? It is 5:30 PM, and i have still lots of work pending, still need to send some reports, some coding work etc. Uff i hate this job, how can i come out of this rat race ? where is this life leading me ?. Come on, It is ok for today, ‘TOMORROW’ is the perfect day, ill make some difference in my life ‘TOMORROW’. More important is, for now i need to decide on which local train / bus will i get (less crowded of course) as need to reach home early. Well, early after 12 hours of job means at night 10:00 right ?
Love Life
Your Love Life ? Come on man, Now a days in Mumbai city who thinks more towards love life ? Money first, if money available, girls are automatically attracted (Well, Not all i must say). But yes, the fact is without money, not just your opposite sex, but nothing actually goes well so easy.
Once into that rolling hours of this so called ‘RAT RACE’ chasing for money, job security, loans etc, Love is not forgotten but simple scheduled after. Well, if you don’t trust me then head to a nice cafe & bar for a drink with your non-competitive pal at office and after a drink or two the real feel, love life and everything else pours out. That my friend is the real person, the same middle class buddy and his feelings which are covered with thick layer of dust, the so called life and lifestyle requirements in Mumbai.
YES, i am in Mumbai, the commercial capital of India, With less commercial stuff inside my pocket and at my saving accounts.
I am that so called middle class person, Yet i am happy and still there is some hope because their is another ‘TOMORROW’.
BPO and Call Centre Life
So what if i don’t have a white collar job, One day my dreams will sure come true and till then ‘I Can Adjust‘ with those shifts jobs at call centres and BPO’s. Why not, Its a good alternative and hardly needs so high qualifications too. There is lifestyle, good and fast money and beautiful girls around who get along easy and i am one of those lucky single’s ready to mingle (Or may be married, who cares).
Yet i do think of my future life, how long will i continue this way. I need to get settled, Get my own home and this financial institutes don’t trust we call centre job people easily for a loan. Forget it for now, Lets think about all this ‘Tomorrow’ or may be i can plan something in weekends. Lets have a cutting chai, smoke a little and back to work. Its a night shift this week / month, So what if we work around when world sleeps, This is Mumbai which never sleeps and every other middle class need to struggle a little at initial jobs during the career. I will manage to live with friends, sharing a rental apartment and enjoy weekends.
‘Thought’ is all it matters, there are hard working chai walas who managed to hold some good positions in city and made life better and there are those who has no delay gratifications, Whose wants unlimited and want to enjoy and have fun, all RIGHT NOW. Whoever you are, Whatever you want Mumbai welcomes all. Its your life, Enjoy at call centres and BPO’s, although there are scopes to climb ladders here too or just work for hand to mouth routines.
Weekend Job Life
No tension, This lucky two days of weekend are just for me, They are mine. Some Non-IT job working people are lucky with Sundays only. With that we do have some fun in our favour to chill around with friends and spend some quality time with family too.
So how a middle class person spend his weekend in Mumbai ? Some of the common things we mango people do is see a movie, relax on beaches all free and close to nature (Yes, Mumbai people are actually blessed with many beaches), Malls are great options too (Well not really shopping always, Sometimes just to hangout).
If you like to know about bollywood movies based on Mumbai city, Here is the list.
Middle class of Mumbai cannot afford classy cafe and bars at locations like Bandra, Andheri and Khar and prefer party with friends at home or some regular family restaurants & bars. Have some drinks, order for food and have fun partying in weekend, Well Saturday late night party, may be pub & disco is ok, But i have a job on Monday and no late nights on Sunday’s right ? We middle class people sleep with real heavy hearts on Sunday nights as Monday not just shows blues, But many colours here in Mumbai (Oh, i love my boss). Bye, Bye Weekends and HELLO Monday.
Now this was just how is the life of a busy middle class person with a ‘job’. But Mumbai’s life is not so limited, If you have enough money, day and night life are equally beautiful and full of fun.
How Middle Class Feels on Monday
Thinking about Monday Blues like people have around the world ? Well, not actually as we have a multi-coloured rainbow to face every Monday. I have already detailed some colours like catching crowded local trains, then a bus or an auto / taxi might be, traffic etc. A person don’t actually feel like waking up and get ready for a JOB.
Finally, up and now RUN RUN RUN, some or no breakfast as he might miss his regular train (That same beautiful coach of local train, That jump and feel of achievement that gets you that window seat), my regular group who are people like me and lots more. If you have observed, Monday morning are very silent in local train coaches, Why ? is that the much required break in weekend and that sound sleep of Sunday ? Or the deep sorrow inside to face the artificial world and workplace challenges ?
Yes, i have a job in Mumbai, The city of dreams. Relatives far in my villages are proud of me being in Mumbai and i am too. This is the city where struggler like Shahrukh Khan & many others have made it possible and this is where i will too, One day. Its Monday, Lets get ready with that mask (Like Jim Carrey) which will hide the real me and make me ready to face this fake world and help me climb the corporate ladders. Its a circle of 7 days in Mumbai which repeats itself again and again, till one break out and succeed or just breaks.
Life Flashes Back in Mumbai
Their comes a day after few years of Job in Mumbai when the same middle class starts thinking and starts asking questions to self. This may or may not be a life changing moment of that person. Like me, he might take a firm decision to come out of ‘Rat Race’ and finally live life with freedom and self respect, do whatever he likes and earn the way he wants.
His mind flashes with some of the important questions listed below.
- What was your dream during your college days, Are you doing same today, If not when ? It is already 1 decade working and jumping jobs.
- How was your life even with less pocket money ?
- Do you really want to spend entire life working for someone else ?
- Being a middle class, Still you are earning good. But are you happy ? Do you have enough time to do whatever you love to ?
- Will climbing corporate ladders and earning more money solve all your problems ?
Personal Experience
Before i wind up with such a long article, i want to share my personal experience being a middle class Mumbai citizen and working at various IT jobs for exactly 10 years and than miraculously with God’s help break through and live life the way i actually wanted.
Around year 1997, a lower middle class got my first job in computers and the salary was a blessing for my family. But, the real me inside was never ready for 8 to 10 hours daily slavery which i realized on day 1 of 8 hour job in shifts at a leading bank of Mumbai.
One only needs a serious fire in belly to break through and it took 10 years for me to come out of job and start blogging as my full time love. Trust me i didn’t know a single word (tutorial) of the WEBSITE world, But the will of getting freedom and being on own poured blessings.
The only motivation i believe that works is YOU, YOURSELF. Other motivational books, seminars etc are of great helps but will never last long. Getting out of a middle class framed mind is not easy, Yes MIND is where everything actually happens. I started blogging and working on website part time and a day came when i was free from JOB.
It is 2020, i look back when i started this website in 2007, I see that those hard work of clicking city pictures with those 2 & 8 megapixel costly mobile cameras is paying when someone searches ‘Old Mumbai Pictures‘ and that was totally worth the job life then.
YOU CAN DO IT TOO.
Here is my favourite quote for you ( By W.H Murray)
“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too.”
